ABSTRACT
Six Sigma is all the rage now. MBA programs are teaching it; corporate executives are lining up to sing its praises; consultants, of course, are cashing in on it. But the flaws are beginning to show. Yes, it does indeed benefit organizations, at least initially. But then problems begin to arise, and employees start to wonder, “Could it be possible that Six Sigma is not all it has been cracked up to be?” Could it be possible? Could it, in fact, be probable that Six Sigma is nothing new, that it is simply the latest volley fired against nonquantitative approaches by those locked into the numbers during a war that has been going on, believe it or not, since the mid-1700s?
